NEWS OF THE DAY.

The news from Washington this morning indicates the speedy opening of active hostilities. Gen. McCLELLAN on Saturday made a balloon assention with Prof. LOWE, and spent two hours in making reconnoisances of the enemy's positions. This was followed yesterday morning at daylight by a movement of our pickets, who were advanced one mile from their former positions, the rebel pickets retreating before them without any attempt at resistance. It has recently been discovered that the rebels, in addition to their fortifications on Munson's Hill, have recently erected a formidable battery, commanding the Leesburgh turnpike, about seven miles from the Chain Bridge. There does not appear, however, to be any considerable body of troops in that vicinity. It appears, also, that on Wednesday last the rebels actually made an attempt to effect a crossing of the Potomac at Great Falls, about sixteen miles above Washington, but were repulsed with considerable loss. They planted a battery of rifled cannon upon an eminence and fired about a hundred guns at a body of our troops on the Maryland, side, attempting, meantime, to cross by constructing a temporary bridge with planks. The Sharp-shooters of the Pennsylvania Seventh, however, met them with such a galling fire that they were forced to give up the enterprise, and retired with their battery. Only one man was slightly wounded among the Pennsylvanians.

A conclusive evidence of the sympathy felt for the Government of the United States by the Emperor of Russia will be found in the letter which we publish this morning, written by the Prince GORTSCHAKOFF to Baron STOECKEL, the Russian Minister at Washington, by command of the Emperor. His Majesty recognizes to the fullest extent the importance of maintaining the Union, and directs Mr. STOECKEL to use all his influence in behalf of the Government. This important letter has been suitably acknowledged by Secretary SEWARD.

Our latest intelligence from Fortress Monroe and the coast below, to the 7th inst., is confirmatory of that previously received, relative to the condition of sentiment in North Carolina. The George Peabody had arrived at the Fortress, from Hatteras Inlet, with a number of fugitive families from the mouth of Tar River, who had succeeded in escaping to the Inlet. They report that the lower counties of North Carolina are ready to hoist the National flag when assured of support --a prominent clergyman declaring that should a National force land near Beaufort, it would immediately be joined by at least two thousand North Carolina Unionists. A perfect reign of terror exists there at present. The State troops were, in part, returning from Virginia, and the fortifications at Ocracoke Inlet have certainly been abandoned -- probably, also, those at Oregon or New Inlet. It is thought, however, that an effort will be made by the rebels to hold Fort Macon, at the entrance to Beaufort harbor, as it is a heavy casemated fortification, and capable of great resistance.

The Quaker City, which arrived here yesterday, from Fortress Monroe, brought and landed at Fort Lafayette eight rebel prisoners captured on board the schooner H. Middleton, and put on board the Quaker City from the steam-frigate Roanoke. The Quaker City has been constantly under steam on blockading service for seventy-nine days, and has done most effective duty, as has been proved by the frequent notices of captures made by her. She has now been purchased by the Government and conies to this port to be refitted, and for the reorganization of her crew.

A number of persons have been arrested near Baltimore within the past day or two, and are now maintained at the expense of the Government in Fort McHenry. Among them were a party of 20, mostly residents of the Eighth Ward of this City, who were taken into custody while endeavoring to make their way to Virginia. Yesterday morning a coachmaker, named A. WILLIAMSON, was arrested with a wagon and a pair of horses, with which he was traveling towards the Potomac, with the intention of crossing. The wagon had a false top and bottom, and in it were found concealed quantities of revolvers, gold lace and red flannel, and a package of about 120 letters, directed to persons in Petersburgh, Richmond, Norfolk, and Fairfax, some of them from first-class business houses in Baltimore.

The Providence line of steamers which arrive at this port daily, have for some time past brought, on freight, large quantities of cotton from the above port, for shipment to Europe. The Pelican, which arrived yesterday morning, had some 200 bales on board.

The Third Rhode Island Regiment, Col. BLANNING, consisting of 600 men rank and file, arrived in this City yesterday morning in the steamer Commodore. They were landed at Pier No. 1, and were immediately transferred to Fort Hamilton.

The Stock Market was less buoyant early in the day on Saturday than the afternoon before, and prices partially reacted. At the close the demand again improved, and prices left off steady; New-York Central, 73 5/9; Missouris, 43 1/2. The popular interest in the New 7.30 cent. Treasury Bonds continues at the Sub-Treasury Office, and the individual subscriptions of the week reach nearly three millions.

From the Times of yesterday.

An important order was yesterday issued by Gen. MCCLELLAN, providing for a better observance of the Sabbath in the National Army. He recommends that all work be suspended on that day, except in the case of an attack by the enemy or some other extreme military necessity; that no unnecessary movements shall be made; that the men shall, as far as possible, be permitted to rest; and that they shall attend Divine service after the customary morning inspection.

The Cincinnati Press of Thursday announces that an engagement took place on Sunday last in the Kanawha Valley, some miles beyond Gauly Bridge, which resulted in the complete rout of the rebels, under FLOYD, by the eleventh Ohio and the Seventh Kentucky regiments. According to the Press' informant, the two regiments had been ordered to dislodge a small body of rebels who had intrenched themselves some miles from Gauly Bridge, and while on their way to the place designated, they were attacked by FLOYD, with a body of 2,500 men. Although taken somewhat by surprise, the National troops soon formed in proper order, and commenced such a deadly fire that the rebels were soon thrown into confusion and fled precipitately, leaving a large number of dead and wounded. They were pursued as far as practicable, and at last threw aside their arms in great numbers and sought the mountain paths and trails through the forest. The National troops captured about two hundred and eighty prisoners, and a large quantity of baggage and equipments, while their own loss was but trifling. The National troops appear to be again assuming the offensive throughout Western Virginia, and as we intimated a day or two ago, we shall probably not have long to wait, before we hear of a decisive blow having been struck by Gen. ROSECRANS. The War Department yesterday received a dispatch from him, from the tone of which it is inferred that everything is going well with his command. He was on Friday located near Sutton Court-house, on the Elk River, a few miles above Summersville.

Our reports of the condition of Gen. FREMONT's command are of the most gratifying character. St. Louis is represented to be a vast camp. Regiment after regiment is pouring in daily, and no doubt a movement will soon be made which will sweep MCCULLOCH, PILLOW, HARDEE, THOMPSON, PRICE, and all the other rebel leaders and their followers out out of the State. It is estimated that Gen. FREMONT already has 70,000 men under him.

We have already published the rebel accounts of what has been termed by them the "bombardment of Galveston." The other side of the story has now appeared, embodied in the official report of Commander ALDEN to Flag Officer MERVINE, accompanied by a protest of the Foreign Consuls residing at Galveston, and the reply of Commander ALDEN. This account puts a decidedly different face on the affair from that which it previously bore. It appears that on the 3d of August as one of the tenders of the South Carolina, blockading the harbor, was returning from a short cruise to the southward, she passed near two of the rebel batteries, which opened fire upon her. Taken by surprise, she nevertheless answered the fire in a spirited manner, and after exchanging a few shots, hauled off, and reported the matter to Commander ALDEN. Thinking the action of the rebels might have been the result of misunderstanding or accident, he waited one entire day for an explanation, but none being offered, he stood in towards the batteries to give them an opportunity to repeat their former action. This they did; and after exchanging some dozen or fifteen shots with them, Commander ALDEN withdrew, not caring to injure the city, which was directly in range of his fire, and almost entirely unprotected. On the 5th inst., the foreign Consuls at Galveston sent a letter to Commander ALDEN, protesting against his action, which they denounced in terms unnecessarily harsh. Commander ALDEN's reply recites the circumstances preceding and attending the "bombardment," and rebukes the Consuls in rather sharp terms.

It is reported from Fortress Monroe that the rebel steamer Yorktown is stationed about twelve miles above Newport's News, awaiting an opportunity to run the blockade, which she will probably not obtain. She has been in course of preparation at Richmond for a long time, and is said to carry a very heavy armament. There was no later intelligence from Hatteras Inlet, though a steamer was hourly expected from there. The Roanoke had arrived from blockade duty off Charleston harbor, but brought no intelligence of importance.

Since the Union men in East Tennessee have been so hemmed in by the rebels that it has been almost impossible for them to communicate with their friends outside, special pains have been taken to create the impression that prominent Union men there have renounced their allegiance to the Government, and given in their adhesion to JEFF. DAVIS. Parson BROWNLOW, for instance, has been represented to have taken this course. We now find in the Cincinnati Times, however, a letter from a reliable man in East Tennessee, dated the 2d inst., in which this is positively denied by no less a personage than Mr. BROWSLOW himself. The envelope of a letter, written by him recently, was indorsed with the following words, which are worth remembering: "Let no man into whose hands this may fall believe for a moment I will desert the Stars and Stripes. They may hang me, rob and burn my possessions -be you assured. Let not their lying, traitorous tongues rob me of my good name."

An Engineer, residing in Newark, N.J., named EDWARD P. WILDER, was arrested yesterday, and is now one of the happy family in Fort Lafayette. Intercepted Letters proved him to be in communication with the South, and he was engaged in constructing a ride battery for the use of the rebels.

The scarcity of shipping lots of Flour, Wheat and Corn, and a rise in freights, checked export movements in Breadstuffs on Saturday; yet the changes in prices were not important. Holders of Cotton were very firm, but succeeded in disposing or only 750 bales. The transactions in Provisions were moderate; hog products, especially Pork, were depressed. Rio Coffee and Cuba Sugars continued in good demand, at full rates. Rice, Whisky and Molasses were quiet, as were also Oils, Metals, Naval Stores, Spices, Hay, Hemp, Hides, Seeds and Whalebone. A fair inquiry prevailed for Hops, Tallow and Leather. The freight engagements were restricted. There were 502 vessels of all classes in port.

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